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UTMB artifact on exhibit in New York; ‘Secret Life of Frames' features Stanford White piece

February 9, 2007

For immediate release: Feb. 9, 2007

NEW YORK - A rare picture frame designed by prominent 20th century architect Stanford White and owned by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is one of 100 historic antique frames on display in a centennial exhibit titled The Secret Lives of Frames.

The exhibition, which includes frames dating from the 16th through the 20th centuries, will be at the Julius Lowy Frame & Restoring Company gallery, 223 80th St., New York City, through April 13. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

"Stanford White's frames are some of the most beautiful frames created in the late 19th century," said Lisa Wyer, Lowy vice president. "This particular frame is a fine example of White's delicate designs executed in gilt composition."

This frame was designed for a portrait of White's mother, Mrs. Richard Grant White, painted by Abbot H. Thayer in 1888, and a fixture in White's Gramercy Park mansion. The architect designed unique frames for many of his artist friends, including Thayer, Thomas Wilmer Dewing and Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He incorporated motifs from his architectural work and greatly influenced the frame makers of the day, Wyer said. This painting will also be displayed in the exhibition.

Possibly the best-known architect of the early 20th century, White is credited with overseeing the design of the John Sealy house "Open Gates" at 2424 Broadway which belongs to UTMB. He also created such architectural masterpieces as the Washington Square Arch in 1889; the second Madison Square Garden which was demolished in 1925 and the Madison Square Presbyterian Church all in New York City.

On June 10th until August 12th, The Secret Lives of Frames will be on view at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, and on October 18th through January 6th, it will be shown at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Va. An illustrated book accompanies the exhibition. The frame will be returned to the university in spring 2008 and will be housed again at Open Gates.

The framed painting was donated to the university by E. Burke Evans, M.D., a UTMB alumnus.
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
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